Why The Kirk Cameos On Strange New Worlds Feel Like Star Trek At Its Best
This week marked the return of that hotshot Starfleet member from the USS Farragut, Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), for another chunky appearance in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." While his alternate self from another timeline was still being mourned by Chief of Security La'an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), here he was, alive, well, and on hand to help Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), who deals with grief of her own. But given that he's only made two significant appearances this season, why not go full throttle and make Kirk's stay on the Enterprise permanent yet? He will eventually sit in that captain's chair (sorry, Pike). Why not have him spend more time with the crew he'll lead in the future? Well, it clearly seems like that isn't on the agenda of "Strange New Worlds," and the show is working perfectly because of it.
This is the Pike era, and Anson Mount's Captain with the ridiculously good head of hair is keeping things in shape as we etch ever closer to his inevitable moment of self-sacrifice. It's all a long way off, and James T. Kirk feels like he's being used sparingly while his predecessor is saving the day and his crew whenever he can. Good. Because these little Kirk cameos are becoming a treat that lines up with some other Trek legends like in all the other shows before this one.
Kirk appearances feel like classic cameo episodes of Trek on top form
In certain chapters of "Star Trek" history, key characters, good or evil, drop in for a minute to stir some trouble or indirectly help stop it from happening. For "Star Trek: The Next Generation," it was Whoopi Goldberg's legendary bartender, Guinan, or John De Lancie's omnipotent thorn in Picard's side, Q keeping him company for an episode or two. Kirk feels like he's being applied in the same capacity, not as an omnipresent force but as a recurring welcome guest who plays a strong secondary character to whoever is getting that week's attention.
Kirk feels like a welcome addition of a character to the episodes he appears in that just happens to be a legend in the making. So far, both La'an and Uhura have led the way, with him providing the rogue-ish Kirk-required swagger trailing behind them. Both close encounters feel natural too. There's no fanfare when Jim meets the descendant of his future sworn enemy or the Communications Officer that would become just as revered as he will further down the line. Even his first meeting with Spock (Ethan Peck) is a throwaway moment because Kirk isn't the key focus here. Not yet, anyway. Instead, as planned by the showrunners, both characters Kirk has backed are getting their moments (as was intended). Still, there's one pairing that needs to happen, not for a bit of fan appeasement but for the performances that could come from it.
Pike and Kirk need an episode together and soon
As Kirk continues to make first contact with the crew that will eventually help him save planets, timelines, and lots of other things on the brink of destruction, it's only a matter of time before the Lieutenant and the current Captain of the Enterprise have to work together on a future endeavor. Sure, they've chatted over briefing tables, drinks, and over screens, but seeing one hero of Starfleet pairing up with someone who has the makings of one isn't just about appeasing fans. It allows two stellar performances on the show to shine alongside one another.
It wouldn't just be about Kirk and Pike working together, but Mount and Wesley double-team the screen with the charm and heart both their performances have in bucket loads. The two actors have done a brilliant job in handling their own iterations of iconic characters from "Star Trek" world, so seeing them work together more would be a winning move in "Strange New Worlds." By our calculations, the changing of the guard between these two is still a long way off, so why not fill that long gap by having two greats work together before the inevitable? It seems like the logical decision, right?